RAT conference location Poll

[jvrjenivs]

Above all options mentioned for the next RAT conference, including names of the person who has offered to organise it. VOTE now, so we can decide a location as start scheduling. We could also have one meeting in the Netherlands in Autumn (as Robert suggested) and another one next spring. Comment belof, if you're interested in this option (but please only do so if you would come to both! it's a pitty to organise something and having few people to turn up.)

Next Christian Koepfer suggested to organise a trip along the Reatian limes. My suggestion would be to seperate that one from the (regular) conferences.

Happy voting!

[Tormenta]

This poll is too complicated. Jurjen you should put up three different polls))
I could make to the two conferences, but it depends of the dates of the events.
My little tip before pushing the button, check your connections with the locations of the conference.

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

What a pity that I could tick only one option. I actually favor all of them but voted for one of course.

[Simplex]

Hello, .....
....couldn't resist ticking "Bad Dürkheim" because its temptingly near to my "residency".
The other locations all do heve their merits, but with the distance my difficulties to get
there do increase. :mrgreen:

Greez

Simplex

[Kai]

A few thoughts here:

Imho, an easy to reach loaction is mandatory. One of the reasons I could not participate last time was the long and complicated travel to the location (flying over Paris would have been one of the quickest ways to get there for me... I am coming from Berlin!).

One non-stop flight and a short trip via train should be all that is needed to get to the RAT-C. A large airport nearby is thus required, imo. Alternatively a longer travel by train is ok for me as well.
But I personally do not want to fly with several stops only to have yet another train ride to do...

To me, all the options are ok, but internationally Utrecht or Oxford have the largest airports nearby (Amsterdam and London - I do not know how often I had to stop there...). If I am mistaken, and Regensburg or Bad Dürkheim are easier to travel to internationally, please point that out.

...As for the location itself I would prefer Regensburg.

regards
Kai

[caiusbeerquitius]

Regensburg is not too far from Munich airport, and easily reached by train from Berlin, if I am not mistaken. Takes exactly six hours, if you take a train with which you don´t have to change. Last time I drove it took me 3:30 by car. Train from Munich airport is 1:33, from Nürnberg airport 10 min less.

Heathrow-Oxford by train is 2:15

Amsterdam-Utrecht by train is 30 min

Cheers! C.

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

Bad Dürkheim is not that easy to reach, nearest airport would be Frankfurt, from there take the ICE train to Mannheim, from there by local train to Bad Dürkheim.

[Kai]

Thank you both for the info!

[Graham Sumner]

Hi

I voted for Regensburg again as I was well looked after by Christian when I went to Augsburg last year.

If he is organising a trip along the local Limes I can assure you it will not take long, especially if he is the driver!!

11 of the 14 members who voted for the last venue dropped out for one reason or another. So members this time should think about their own travel arrangements and the cost before voting and Kai has raised some valid points.

Graham.

[Simplex]

Hi,
...since it would be comfortable for me to have a RAT-conference that near, let me have a few "good words" about Bad Dürkheim.
Here's my "quick 'n dirrty" info :
1. There's a noteworthy roman villa and a burgus at BD-Ungstein ("courtyard-type", one of the bigger ones)
2. There's the "oppidum/late roman hilltop fort/early medieval stronghold" on the "Kriemhildenstuhl" above BD. (IIRC there were recent excavations)
3. There's a number of roman "memorabilia" nearby interspersed alond the "Weinstrasse"
4. The museums at Speyer, Worms AND Mannheim are not too far off ( ~max 40-45 mins drive, by train a little longer)
5. The roman camp at Ludwigshafen-Rheingönheim is about the same distance away.
6. The food in this area is level with that at Regensburg -- maybe a tad better.
(Sorry Christian)
7. The beer is not, but the wine may be the best of all previous RAT-conferences locations.
8. It got a beautiful "Kurhaus", "Kurpark" etc.
9. Now comes the sad part : how do we reach BD (and how can we get away :wink: ?)?
By Plane: Frankfurt/M. or Stuttgart or Baden Airport south of Karlsruhe.
Then: IC-/ICE from Frankfurt/Airport Bf to Mannheim HBf. ca. 1 h.
(Mannheim Central-HBf- is way better for connectivity than Ludwigshafen Central -- it's a bit complicated there!)
At Mannheim > Rhein-Haardt-Bahn in front of the station-- this Rhein-Haardt-Bahn ends at
Bad Dürkheim. ca. 1h.
Then: IC-/ICE from Stuttgart-Airport -- I don't know if there's this line already.
Otherwise you'll have to take the S-Bahn from the Airport to Stuttgart Central (HBf)
Less than 35min IIRC.
Then ICE/IC to Mannheim.
ICE is about 45 min. IC is about 1h.
From Mannheim > Rhein-Haardt-Bahn.
IIRC the way from the Baden Airport may be by bus. (1-1.5h ?)
O.K. we would not call Bad Dürkheim a Metropole, wouldn't we.
But I'm shamelessly promoting Bad Dürkheim here, ahh ?! :mrgreen:

Greez

Simplex

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

Hi Siggi,

Thanks for promoting my proposal. :mrgreen: Some of the point you mentioned I had listed in our original thread concerning the location. But I think the Roman camp in Rheingönheim would be nice as well, a location I haven't visited during my vacations at Bad Dürkheim.

You are right, the Pfalz is more a wine region that beer region and although I usually drink more beer than wine I don't want a beer when in the Pfalz.

[John Conyard]

I am sure all the locations would be "great".

But Oxford is special.

[Renatus]

Can the potential organisers suggest an approximate date for their venues or is it too early for that?

[M. Caecilius]

Heathrow-Oxford by train is 2:15

There's also good bus connections from Heathrow and Gatwick which will lead to central Oxford in High Street These might be preferable to the train.

I won't vote because, depending on the date, all of those might work for me. Incidentally, as someone who joined less than a year ago, can someone tell me how long an RAT conference is and what it involves?

Thanks!

[jvrjenivs]

Incidentally, as someone who joined less than a year ago, can someone tell me how long an RAT conference is and what it involves?

Well, basically it's a meet-and-greet of RAT-members. We started to include some lectures/discussion topics to have a kind of a programm. Last 2 years we found also some external lecturers to be included.

Most of the time it's starting with a citytour (optional) on friday afternoon, or meet at the pub on friday evening. Lecturers saterday and sunday morning. Excursions on saterday and sunday (optional) afternoon. As meeting people is important, the pub-sessions are important too.